via Wax Poetics


As dates in musical history go, Tuesday, November 9, 1993, is a noteworthy one to say the least. On the very same day that Wu-Tang Clan unleashed their kung-fu-inflected debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the Native Tongues members A Tribe Called Quest also released their third studio album, the classic and oh-so-sublime Midnight Marauders.

All of A Tribe Called Quest’s albums are great. From their experimental 1990 debut People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm and 1991’s jazz-heavy, boom-bap Low End Theory, all the way to the Ummah styling (with a certain prodigy then known as Jay Dee) of 1996’s Beats, Rhymes & Life and 1998’s The Love Movement, Tribe consistently innovated with intelligence and class. But, like the jelly in the middle of a royal sandwich of a career, it is Midnight Marauders that is most frequently heralded as one of the greatest albums of its era.

Featuring singles such as “Award Tour,” “Oh My God,” and “Electric Relaxation,” the album seamlessly flows through upbeat tempos to more mellow tones, peppered with the robotic compering of Laurel Dann. As well as smart lyrics and classic rhymes, Midnight Marauders boasts forward-thinking production and deft use of sampling.

So to mark the twentieth anniversary of such a remarkable record, Who Sampled’s Chris Read has crafted a knowledgeable and nuanced mix full of tracks from the album and original sample material. Listen up and enjoy!

 

Artwork: Leon Nockolds